Legal Question in Legal Ethics in Kentucky
Caregiver rip off
My 56 year old cousin had a bad stroke 5 years ago. She lives alone and needs some help with daily living. She is paying a caregiver $2000 per month. This caregiver only drives her to and from her part-time job and helps with exercises----no cooking, or house work. The caregiver is probably with my cousin less than 2 hours per day, 5 days a week. My cousin is going through her money (her Mother's estate) rapidly. I told her she is being ripped off by the caregiver. My cousin says she will be bankrupt in 4 years. I don't want her to just continue to give her money away until she is broke. I have asked her to please
pay the caregiver only by the hour, but she tells me she can handle her own affairs. I feel helpless. How can I stop this caregiver from taking advantage of my cousin?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Caregiver rip off
You'll need an attorney for this one, because you may not have the right to do anything in your state, if you're not considered next of kin. At 56, she certainly has the right to manage her own affairs, even if it lands her in the poorhouse.
Since you have a good relationship with her, why not offer to pay for a professional and reputable accountant to work with her so that she can continue to receive care for as long as she needs it? Tell her that you'll pay for it and she doesn't have to pay you back.
Instead of trying to come between her and her caregiver (for good or bad), help her by giving her tools to help herself. If she's got her wits about her, the documentation should help her see that she is being ripped off. If she thinks she's getting value for money, though, you may have to cut it loose.
It's often hard to get someone who is dependent to question the caregiver, since she is at their mercy on a daily basis.
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